Therese is the founder of Forbes Children’s Nursery, opening the doors to the first nursery in 1996. Her passion for early childhood education began during her university years working in childcare and later through her involvement in running a voluntary nursery while raising her own family. With a background in publishing and authorship, including With Child: Birth Through the Ages, Therese brought a deep understanding of child development into practice when she and her husband established the nursery in their home. A strong advocate for outdoor learning, she was among the first in Scotland to embrace the forest school approach, using natural landscapes to enrich children’s experiences. This commitment continues today through regular adventures in forests, hills and beaches, reflecting Therese’s belief that meaningful outdoor experiences play a vital role in children’s learning, confidence and wellbeing.
Anthony grew up in the original Forbes Road nursery before leaving home for university and officially joined the nurseries in 2007. As Therese’s son and now Director, he brings both a lifelong connection to the nursery and valuable experience from a successful business career. Over the past 30 years, Forbes Children’s Nursery has grown organically from its first setting at Forbes Road to five nurseries today, while remaining true to its core belief that our teams are at the heart of what makes Forbes so special. Anthony is committed to supporting both staff and children, helping to create a nurturing, inspiring environment where children develop the skills, confidence and social awareness they need to grow into happy, healthy individuals, and where team members feel valued and proud to work.
Carol is the Business Director for Forbes and brings over a decade of experience as a contractor within the financial sector. Carol joined the nursery group in August 2017 and has since played a key role in strengthening business processes and supporting the leadership teams of the nurseries since. Alongside her professional commitments, she is a parent to three children, giving her valuable insight into the needs of families and children, which further informs her approach to her role.
Andrea is the Director of Care and Education and has been a cornerstone of Forbes since it opened in 1996. Having worked at Forbes from the very beginning, she has seen many changes over the years, but the love and care shown to the children and the warm, family feel have always remained the same. Andrea has worked across all Forbes nurseries with children of all ages and has enjoyed watching so many grow up over the years. She holds an HNC in Early Learning and Childcare, an HND in Childhood Practice, and a PDA in Childhood Practice, and has a particular passion for the Under 3s, believing this is a vital stage where children’s natural curiosity makes every day new and exciting.
Sam is our Assistant Manager. Sam is a qualified Practitioner with an HNC in Early Learning and Childcare and her PDA level 8 qualification. She joined the nursery in 2008 and has supported all age groups over her time with the nursery. Sam is currently based in the Toddler Room.
Katie is our current Trainee Manager and works closely with Andrea, our Director of Care and Education, and Sam, our Assistant Manager, to support the smooth running of the nursery. She joined the team in May 2022 and is based with our Preschool children. Katie holds a BA (Honours) Level 8 in Early Childhood Studies from Ireland and brings with her many years of experience in childcare.
Annabel is our Operations Manager and joined Forbes in November 2022. She works across all four of our settings, supporting the managers and their teams. With over 15 years of management experience, Annabel brings strong leadership and organisational skills to her role. As a mother of two, she also brings empathy and understanding to her work with children, families, and staff.
Emma is one of our longest-serving employees, having been with the nursery since 2002. She is a qualified Practitioner with an HNC in Early Learning and Childcare and works alongside the Management team as our Preschool Room Senior. In her spare time, Emma shares her passion for dance by teaching tap to young children. She is also a proud mother to her daughter.
Sravani joined our preschool team at Claremont Park in January 2024. She is currently working towards her SVQ Level 3 qualification, and we are committed to supporting her on this journey. Sravani is known for the warmth and care she brings to the children and her colleagues.
Megan joined the Preschool Team at Claremont Park in January 2025 as an apprentice through one of our training providers. She is currently working towards her childcare qualification, and we are supporting her throughout her learning journey.
Rose is a qualified practitioner based in our Baby Room and has been part of the nursery team since August 2022. She brings with her many years of childcare experience, having previously worked in various nursery settings across Edinburgh.
Akhila joined the Claremont Park team in November 2023, bringing with her several years of experience in childcare, including working in Montessori nurseries and leading environmental awareness programmes for young people. She is currently based in our Toddler Room and is working towards her SVQ Level 3 qualification.
Sarah joined our Tweenie Room team in April 2024 as an apprentice, marking her first role in childcare. We are delighted to have her on board and will be supporting her through her qualifications and ongoing training within the nursery.
Millie joined the nursery in April '24 with previous experience at a nursery in Edinburgh. Millie has completed her SVQ Social Services, Children & Young People, SCQF level 7 qualification and works within our Baby room at Claremont Park.
Toby works in our Tweenie Room and has been part of the early years sector since 2019. He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience from working across different nurseries, including a Steiner School Kindergarten. Alongside his childcare expertise, Toby is also a talented and practising photographer, and his creativity shines through in the experiences and activities he shares with the children.
Jamieleigh joined our Claremont Park Nursery in November 2022 as an apprentice within our Under 2’s Team. She had previously volunteered in a variety of childcare settings, gaining valuable experience through different roles within the sector. We are proud to have supported Jamieleigh in completing her childcare qualifications, and she is now a qualified practitioner based in our Toddler Room.
Tammy joined our Toddler Team in January 2024 as a Support Worker. She is embarking on a new career in childcare after previously working in fine dining hospitality. Tammy is currently working towards her SVQ Level 3 qualification.
Marta joined the Claremont team in October 2022 and currently works part-time in our Toddler room. Her home language is Italian, and she enjoys sharing it with the toddlers.
Debrah joined our Claremont Park team in January '25 as an Apprentice and works with the team in the Baby room. We will support Debrah though her qualification with one of our Training providers.
Sonia joined our team in April 2022 and works as mid-day cover across various rooms in the nursery. As a mother of four, she brings a wealth of personal experience, warmth, and understanding to her role, supporting both children and staff throughout the day.
Bal is a qualified practitioner who supports in rooms across the nursery. She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience from working in Early Years settings and is a valued member of the team. Bal’s flexible approach and broad expertise help ensure children receive high-quality care and support throughout the nursery.
Nazia joined our team in June 2024 as part of our mid-day cover in the Preschool Room. She holds an Intermediate qualification in teaching and has previous experience working in Early Years childcare in Pakistan. Alongside her professional background, Nazia has also gained valuable experience through raising her own family, and she brings warmth and dedication to her role with the children.
Eden joined our Claremont Nursery in October '23 with three years of kitchen experience. Eden has three children of her own so knows all about preparing nutritious and delicious home-cooked meals.
Craig is a qualified practitioner and our dedicated Forest School Team Leader. He joined the nursery in 2016 and leads both our Forest School and Beach School programmes. Craig supports our Greenhill, Bruntsfield Place, and Claremont nurseries, sharing his expertise and passion for outdoor learning across all settings. He has completed his qualification in Forest Kindergarten Leadership (Level 7). With his calm, knowledgeable approach and genuine enthusiasm for the outdoors, Craig has made a lasting impact on so many children over the years.
Karen works in our nursery admin team joining the nursery in 2003. Karen works across our four settings supporting the managers and staff. Karen is a mother herself.
Mike is a highly skilled joiner with over 50 years of experience. He supports Forbes by carrying out general maintenance across our nurseries and has been involved in a wide range of projects throughout his career, including being part of a Channel 4 Grand Designs build.
Alongside this, Mike puts his craftsmanship to wonderful use by creating beautiful bespoke wooden teepees, tables, and chairs, which are loved by both staff and children. His dedication, experience, and creativity make him a much-valued member of the Forbes team.
Kay, our Teaching and Learning Coordinator, has over thirty years of experience in education. She began as a primary school teacher, later moving into outdoor education in Glenshee, and has worked with Barnardo’s Inclusive Education programme and at an outdoor therapeutic school in Colorado. A trained Forest School Leader, Kay is passionate about creating environments where children thrive through child-led play. She values the power of stories and books, and is committed to helping children explore the maths and science in the world around them, especially outdoors.
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